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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. firm — a company
  6. cell — a phone
  7. firm — decided
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — wild animals
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — a path
  14. cell — in biology
  15. content — happy
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — a song
  23. game — a match
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com